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PTC announces reduction of bus and rail fares; Fare structure simplified

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8 years ago

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The Public Transport Council (PTC) has concluded the 2016 Fare Review Exercise and has announced that the current fare structure will be simplified by lowering the fares for the fully-underground rail lines to the fare level of above-ground rail lines.

An overall 4.2% fare reduction will be granted, which translates into reductions of 1 to 27 cents for card fares, and the remaining -1.5% of the fare quantum will be carried forward to the next Fare Review Exercise, to spread out the impact of volatile energy prices over time, which will take effect on 30 December 2016.

Currently, fully-underground lines like the North East, Circle and Downtown Lines have a different fare structure from the North-South and East-West Lines, LRT Lines and buses.

The difference in fares ranges from 4 to 25 cents for adult and senior citizen concessionary card commuters.

The fare differential was introduced in 2003 with the North East Line to reflect the higher operating costs (e.g. air-conditioned platforms) of the fully-underground lines.

To remove the differential, fares for fully-underground lines will be lowered to the same level as the above-ground lines and basic bus services. With the move to a single fare structure, almost all fare exceptions will be eliminated.

PTC said that it will also adopt a purely distance-based approach to calculate fares based on the shortest travel path. Rail fares are currently determined by the distance of the fastest travel path between origin-destination pairs.

However, the fastest travel path, which is based on travel time and includes walking and waiting time, may not always be the travel path with the shortest distance. “The revised approach will be more intuitive for commuters and consistent with the current Distance Fare Framework,” it said.

According to PTC, all commuters using fare cards will enjoy a fare reduction.

Based on the new distance-based fare structure, adult card fares will be lowered by 1 to 27 cents. Senior citizens’ concessionary card fares will be reduced by 1 to 7 cents while student concessionary card fares will be reduced by 1 cent.

The prices of all monthly concession passes and monthly travel passes will remain unchanged. The Government will also lower the concessionary card fares for LowerWage Workers and Persons with Disabilities.

The Ministry of Transport will announce the details of the fare reduction separately.

PTC also said that the significant 4.2% fare reduction will allow the simplification of the current fare structure and allow all commuters to enjoy a reduction of fares. The remaining -1.5% will be carried forward to the next Fare Review Exercise.

The Public Transport Affordability indicator (PTAI), which tracks fare affordability, shows that public transport fares have become more affordable for second quintile and second decile households over the past decade.

The percentage of monthly household incomes spent on public transport has decreased from 3.2% in 2005 to 2.2% in 2015 for second quintile households, and from 4.5% in 2005 to 3.1% in 2015 for second decile households.

Conversely, the public transport industry is facing cost pressures that pose challenges as it strives to deliver higher levels of service to commuters. It is also unlikely for energy prices, which had fallen substantially in 2015, to remain at its current level indefinitely.

Mr Richard Magnus, Chairman of the PTC said, “Last year, fares were reduced by 1.9%. This year, fares will be reduced further by a substantial 4.2%. The remaining -1.5% will be saved and carried over to next year. In addition, the introduction of a simpler fare system allows commuters to get to their destinations by any public transport mode, whether it be an above-ground or fully-underground MRT line, or bus, without worrying about the cost differential.”

“This will benefit commuters further as more new fully-underground lines are opened in the coming years. The lower energy prices in 2015 have allowed PTC to reduce all card fares. A prudent and balanced approach is however necessary to ensure the longer term sustainability of our public transport system. We will continue monitoring this closely,” he added.

 

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Singapore

SMRT: Train-borne electrical fault behind 10 Oct EWL disruption

In an updated Facebook post on 10 October at 3:56 PM, SMRT confirmed that the train fault on the East-West Line (EWL) at noon was caused by a train-borne electrical fault, distinct from the 25 Sept incident involving an axle box. The faulty train was recovered, and SMRT reassured commuters that the tilt some experienced was normal due to the track slope.

Published

2 days ago

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10 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: In an updated Facebook post on 10th October at 3:56 PM, SMRT confirmed that the train fault on the East-West Line (EWL), which occurred at noon on the same day, was caused by a train-borne electrical fault.

SMRT clarified that this fault is distinct from the earlier incident on 25th September, which involved an axle box.

They also reported that the faulty train has since been recovered to the depot.

Acknowledging that some commuters experienced a tilt while aboard the stalled train, SMRT explained that this was due to the slope of the track at the curvature near Tiong Bahru station.

They reassured commuters that the tilt is normal and that the train remained stable.

The disruption occurred around 12.30PM, SMRT a first-generation westbound Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train stalled near Tiong Bahru station due to the fault.

“All commuters were safely disembarked at Outram Park station,” said SMRT, who also expressed apologies for the inconvenience caused.

During the disruption, SMRT advised commuters to expect an additional 25 minutes of travel time between Outram Park and Queenstown MRT stations towards Joo Koon.

They also announced the availability of free regular bus services and assured passengers that station staff were on hand to assist.

By 1:22 PM, SMRT said train services from Queenstown station to Bugis had resumed.

Earlier, some commuters who were on the train during the disruption observed that it was tilted.

Many took to social media to express their frustration over the EWL latest disruption.

Some reported being stuck on the train between Tiong Bahru and Redhill stations for nearly half an hour, while another claimed to have been trapped for approximately 45 minutes.

This train fault came just 10 days after the resolution of the major six-day EWL disruption on 1st October.

 

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Commuters report being stuck for nearly half an hour during 10 Oct EWL Disruption

Some commuters took to social media to express their frustration during the East-West Line disruption on 10th October. While some claimed to have been stuck on the train for nearly half an hour, others voiced disappointment over SMRT’s inability to manage repeated breakdowns. Some even sarcastically noted that as public transport fares continue to rise, train faults seem to be increasing as well.

Published

2 days ago

on

10 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: On 10 October at noon, the East-West Line (EWL) experienced a disruption due to a train fault reported by operator SMRT at 12:31 PM.

Commuters were advised to expect an additional 25 minutes of travel time between Outram Park and Queenstown MRT stations towards Joo Koon.

SMRT also  announced the availability of free regular bus services and assured passengers that station staff would be present to assist those in need.

By 1:22 PM, SMRT said train services from Queenstown station to Bugis had resumed.

SMRT explained that at 12:30 PM, a first-generation westbound Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train stalled near Tiong Bahru station due to the fault.

“All commuters were safely disembarked at Outram Park station,” said SMRT, who also expressed apologies for the inconvenience caused.

According to comments from commuters on social media platform XiaoHongshu, some reported being stuck on the train which halted between Tiong Bahru station and Redhill for nearly half an hour.

One commuter commented, “I’m really speechless… Just a few days ago, the EWL had a major breakdown and just recovered. I thought things should be safer recently? Yet today I encountered this, the train stopped between Tiong Bahru and Redhill for almost half an hour.”

“SMRT really leaves people speechless. Prices increase every year (they’re set to rise again at the end of the year), yet faults occur one after another.”

“The last incident still hasn’t received a satisfactory response or explanation from the public, and now another one has occurred just a few days later.”

Commuter Expresses Disappointment Over SMRT’s Inability to Manage Repeated Breakdowns

Observing comments on SMRT’s Facebook post, one commuter, who claimed to have been stuck in the faulty train for approximately 45 minutes, expressed disappointment that, despite numerous breakdowns, SMRT still could not manage the situation effectively.

There were also commuters who criticised the communication during the train fault. He pointed out that the announcement made at the station was so muffled that it was unintelligible, rendering it effectively useless.

As a result, He had to look for information on SMRT’s Facebook page to find out about the delay.

Some questioned whether SMRT had conducted proper due diligence checks on all first-generation trains, given that the latest disruption occurred just 10 days after the resolution of a six-day major EWL disruption.

One netizen expressed dissatisfaction with SMRT’s approach to managing first-generation trains.

The comment questioned whether SMRT was waiting for more breakdowns of these trains before deciding to withdraw them from service.

The netizen expressed concern that this delay in action resulted in unnecessary costs for repairs and significant inconvenience for commuters.

A Comment expressed frustration with SMRT’s focus on post-incident announcements, arguing that such actions are too late. He suggested that SMRT should prioritise precautionary measures to enhance the reliability of train services.

Another netizen sarcastically noted that as public transport fares increase, train faults seem to be on the rise as well.

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